Stereotype Threat

Stereotype Threat: "The threat of being viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype, or the fear of doing something that would inadvertently confirm that stereotype." Research shows that when students felt they were being judged by stereotypes, they performed less well; this was found to be more true of higher-achieving students (from 1999 article below by Claude Steele).

Women tend to perform worse on math problems when the problems are described as a "math test". According to research on stereotype threat, this underperformance phenomenon is due to fright of confirming a negative stereotype about a group. To combat and solve this problem, a study was created where math tests were given to undergraduate men and women under different levels of awareness about stereotype threat. The study concludes that teaching students about stereotype threat offers a possible solution to reduce its negative effects. (Sara Lopez)

This article describes the impact of a stereotypic threat on a student's performance in the classroom. Gathering statistics from the literature on various testing data, Steele demonstrates that because of stigma associated with women and blacks in the classroom, a large performance disparity forms compared to their respective counterparts in higher education. It is shown that there are stereotype threats, or social-psychological threats that take effect when a person is in a situation where a negative stereotype can be applied to them. Because of these stereotype threats, minorities such as a blacks and women are less likely to continue or develop an interest in math and the physical sciences. (Lisa Short)

Effective Work in Diverse Groups & Teams

Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, Penn State University, Puzzled About Teams, by Gill, Heermans, and Herath.

Problem Solving

Science and math faculty interested in problem solving participated in a weekly lunch series of discussions in summer 2005. This series included visits and discussions with Erica Flapan (Math, Pomona College, more on her science problem solving course here) and Ken Heller (Physics, University of Minnesota, in the Physics Education Group). Discussion centered on topics like the value of various problem types (well or ill-structured, data rich, etc.), problem design, how to effectively facilitate problem-solving in teams and groups, how to scaffold problem-solving processes into teaching and problem design, and more.

This article talks about the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, founded in 1989, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The program is devoted to eradicating the belief that underrepresented students, particularly blacks, are not interested on pursuing careers in the sciences. Up to 2006, the program has supported 768 students, 260 of which are currently undergraduates. According to the data presented, students who entered the program are twice as likely to earn a science or engineering bachelor's degree, and 5.3 times more likely to enroll in post-college graduate study. The program model is comprised of four objectives: academic and social integration, knowledge and skill development, support and motivation, and monitoring and advising. Key program elements include: 1) recruiting a substantial pool of high-achieving minority students with interest in science and engineering, 2) merit based scholarships, 3) an orientation program for incoming freshman, 4) recruiting research-active faculty to work with the students, and 5) involving students in research as early as possible. The program encourages students to excel, earn top grades, and prepare for graduate school. They note that encouraging high academic performance in the first two years is critical. (Sara Lopez)

This article discusses the Biology Scholars Program (BSP) that was started to give students a support system while enrolled in a biology program - specifically in molecular and cell biology. In addition to providing a curricular support system, BSP has the intention of increasing the number of students who obtain undergraduate degrees in the biological sciences. The support includes not only help inside the classroom, but outside as well, helping participants with choosing a major, careers, and the typical "high-school-to-college" adjustments that a lot of students initially face. This article shows that students in this program benefit greatly from the support and are doing better compared to non-participants in terms of GPA and graduating with a degree in Biology. However, the research has raised questions about the reasons for program success: What role has BSP had in student success? What can other institutions do to help their undergraduates replicate this success?

Degree Progress for Underrepresented Groups in STEM Fields

This article celebrates the steadily increasing statistics in African Americans earning Ph.D.s. Not to cloud this accomplishment, the article also discusses how few of the degrees obtained are in the sciences. There are multiple subdisciplines in science that had no degrees obtained at all (such as astrophysics, engineering physics, etc.). There is still a huge difference between the numbers of whites that earn a Ph.D. in the natural sciences compared to blacks. The article also says that a large number of the doctoral degrees received by African Americans were in the field of education. (Lisa Short)

The National Agenda

Alberts, Bruce, "A Wakeup Call for Science Faculty" Cell123, December 2 (2005). Bruce Alberts, a biochemist, is the past President of the National Academy of Science; known as the"education president".

In this article, Bruce Alberts urges science faculty to change the way of teaching science to undergraduates in colleges and universities. From his personal experience when he was a college student at Harvard, science education focused on teaching students what was already discovered. Not until he spent time in a real research laboratory was he able to understand the purpose and nature of science. His theory is that by teaching science as an inquiry process, rather than as a sequence of facts and data memorization, students will feel more connected to the subject. He argues that these days, when in some high schools theories like "evolution" and "intelligent design" are banned from the classroom, it is important to emphasize the importance of teaching science and make a big effort to increase the appeal of science to students and the public. (Sara Lopez)

Books

Widely cited, in-depth study examining why students leave science majors.. The chapter on minority students briefly reviews existing knowledge, and portrays a number of factors which differentiate SEM major "switchers" from "non-switchers".

Tinto, V. (1987, 1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.